


Someone holds me safe, and warm

by FrozenInFlight, Viliandre



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Gen, Pre Game AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-04
Updated: 2017-03-22
Packaged: 2018-05-31 06:41:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6459871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrozenInFlight/pseuds/FrozenInFlight, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Viliandre/pseuds/Viliandre
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Because one of the hands he remembers holding most definitely wasn't warm, by any stretch of the definition.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Far away, long ago

**Author's Note:**

> I only have one AU in mind for this canon, I said  
> I won't make as many as I've made for Vesperia, I said  
> ... I won't post any others until I get the next Hurricane chapter up, I mumbled, typing this one out-

"Oooh~" Somehow the seraph could turn one vowel into the most mocking sound ever. He stared up at them from over his little fire, then leaned back, sitting against the rock behind him like it was the most comfortable spot in the world. "What brings you two off your fine mountain to talk to me?" Kyme grimaced, because while his posture was relaxed, those orange eyes were sharp behind wild bangs.

"We have need of you, hellion hunter." Maison shifted a little uncomfortably beside him, as one pale eyebrow went up, a smirk seeming just part of the seraphs resting expression. "Lord Zenrus-"

"- **he** knows full well I can do nothing to help you up in your pretty little village." That had been the wrong way to start, the mocking drawls of the seraphs voice vanishing as his eyebrows went right back down, the smirk twitching into a jagged frown. "I made a shitty promise, but it was one I made." His voice was low and somewhere between harsh and firm, perhaps a little 'are you dumb' as he stared at Kyme.

"Zaveid." Maison twitched as Kyme named the other seraph, eyes going wide as he placed the name and title and tales together in his mind. Kyme had been old enough the tale was new and cautionary, all Maison heard were cautions about becoming a hellion - even a Shepherd can't save a dragon, if you fall hard enough. A hellionized seraphim can only be saved by a Shepherd - if you fall and there isn't one around, the hellion hunter will put you down. He might even be the exiled seraph, from back when the Five Lords first came to be. "We need you to make another."

That small smirk didn't return, as Zaveid fixed them with a steady stare for long enough that Kyme had a sinking feeling the seraph was going to refuse.

"Must be something pretty nasty if you all are looking to me for somethin' so important." While the words themselves were light and casual enough, his voice was still low and even. The firelight caught on the iridescent quality to his tattoos as he sat forward, resting his arms on his tented knees. "I will hear what you would have me promise to." It was said carefully, firmly, and almost formally.

It abruptly felt like dealing with a devil out of a human tale - be careful what you say, wording is everything. Kyme swallowed.

"We need you to raise a pair of children. It isn't safe for them in Elysia." He didn't expect the wind seraph to nearly flinch at the idea.

"So you wanna give them to **me**?" Zaveid demanded, shock plain on his face. "Why not Lady Lailah?"

"You're anyone's best bet of surviving out here." Maison pointed out a slightly awkward, obvious truth. "And she's asleep, or something won't let us contact her." Zaveid was silent for a moment more.

"What are you calling raise. Till they stop growing? Till they reach, what do humans use, two decades? More because we're talking seraph kids?" He raised a finger, then the gloved hand for the two options. "Because something's urgent enough about this you want those kids out of here fast."

"Stop growing, or you think they're capable enough, and they're willing, to leave you." Kyme said carefully, because as far as he understood, humans didn't exactly stop growing. Zaveid was silent for a moment, before he stood.

"Done. I promise to raise these kids for you, until they're grown or they're ready and capable of leaving." He paused, then the smirk was back. "You can tell your buddies up the hill I'll take care of the kiddos."

"How-" Maison started then flushed, as a breeze flowed over them. That was how. Wind seraphim. And so the younger seraph - actually, of the three standing there, the youngest seraph - went off to let other Elysian seraphim who were playing with the pair of children know.

This left Kyme with Zaveid, who practically ignored him in favor of putting out his fire the slower, more mundane way. He was scruffing dirt about with his foot when footsteps - small ones moving quickly, and larger ones more slowly - heralded the arrival of the kids, Maison, and two of the other adults.

He shouldn't have been startled, but Kyme was as Zaveid turned, an actual smile on his face. He stayed put for a moment, allowing the kids to get a rather sleepy look at him-

"-You didn't mean raise a pair of kids." And allowing him to talk without anyone else reacting. Kyme couldn't see his lips actually move, but he was a wind seraph, perhaps he didn't really need to talk the way the rest of them did, and it was true the breeze was moving directly from the shirtless seraph to him now. "You meant raise a shepherd and his sub lord." Kyme did his best not to actually stiffen, as Zaveid took a few steps forward and crouched to be about eye height with the kids. Green eyes alight with curiosity, it wasn't long until Sorey took a few sleepy steps forward to start a curious babble of half understandable words, reaching for the man's feathered necklace..

"You made a promise." Kyme said, unable to perform the same trick. Zaveid ignored him, cheerfully answering the babbles as if they made complete sense, and it wasn't long until Mikleo joined Sorey, reaching to touch the man's white and green hair, interjecting his own half-formed words into Sorey's stream of them.

"That I did." Zaveid agreed, when Sorey and Mikleo had stopped their occasional glances at the more familiar seraphim and were mostly focused on him. "What are things they don't eat yet?" At Natalie's startled look, he gave her a bland one. "Yer raisin' them together," and there was an odd emphasis on that together, "of course it's **they**."

This brought the other seraphim into the conversation, giving the wanderer tips and details of the children's lives and habits - with occasional excited interjections from the children themselves, when they recognized words and what went with them.

This stopped when Sorey, then Mikleo, started bobbing heads and having trouble staying upright. The little human didn't need any convincing to climb into a sling on an exasperated looking Zaveid, and Mikleo needed none to follow.

"Yup. I promised to look after them, keep them safe and warm and healthy as y'can get on the move." Zaveid accepted the pack of spare clothes, snacks, tent and food, slinging it over his shoulder to be caught on a small whirlwind. Unease settled in Kyme's gut as the seraph straightened, eyes raising from a quick double check of the sleeping kids.

"But I sure as **hell** didn't promise to raise a Shepherd and his sub-lord." The Hellion Hunter turned guardian's eyes were bright and wild, a sharp contrast to his low and even tone, and before any of the Elysians could protest, he tucked an arm under the kids and vanished on the wind, the bag vanishing the same way.


	2. Chapter 2

He'd managed one thing right about that little escape there - neither of the kids made a peep when he ended the windstep. Were they just that sleepy? Because he was pretty sure those Elysian seraphim wouldn't have taken them windstepping, it shoulda been something new-

But Sorey snugged against Zaveid's chest a little more in his sling and he remembered something important. He's gotta be paying attention all the time now, this is a little  **human** . No drifting away, in more ways than one.

"You okay there, kiddo?" He peeked at the human first. Oh damn, what if he already messed up by windstepping with children?

"Sweepy. Whoosh?" Half closed green eyes brightened when they latched on his face. 

"Whoosh?" Mikleo echoed, rubbing at his face.

"Ah, no. Not planning on more whoosh today. Finding a nice spot for you to sleep, though. We're going camping!" Zaveid picked a direction that was vaguely toward Ladylake, and started walking.

"Camping!" Two voices cheered, and then sort of chant at each other, inflections and pronunciation varying and Zaveid felt a little more of an actual smile start at their voices. Still a bit pissed at the idea of raising a human and seraph with the purpose of a Shepherd and sub-lord, but then again ...he was the one with them. If Sorey eventually wanted to look into that, he'd be able to tell about more of the gritty side of it.

But the kids were like, ten. He had time. "Did you two eat anything yet? Ate some food before going down the mountain?"

"Food!" Became the new chant, which, honestly, wasn't helpful at all.

Zaveid paused on the outlook rock, an eyebrow raised at the two gleeful looking kids. "You're really not gunna make this easy on ol' Zaveid, are ya..."

"... Sleeps?" Mikleo asked, and Zaveid could have sworn he saw some jewelry on the kid as he tilted his head, almost bonking into Sorey.

"Yeah, okay, that first. Found a good spot - don't need any humans thinking Sorey's lost." And the wind did point out a nice spot - didn't look like it was easily reachable by foot, which would be the risk for humans. Looked like it had enough space around it, which was good for his human.

"Not lost!" Sorey insisted, little hand reaching up and aaahh, child nails, okay, he has to figure out how to keep those short because damn did little kids have a good grip and that was his  **collarbone** ! "Together."

There was some very serious nodding - could ten year olds be so serious? - from Mikleo at Sorey's words, and so Zaveid laughed a little, working a finger under Sorey's little ones.

"Yeah, yeah. We're together." And plans change, as he could always say, because he windstepped up the river again. They must have been tired, as there was no comment about the city lights down below - the same city he'd just put more space between, now that he thought about it. Well, they'll see it nice and close later.

Zaveid surveys their camp site in person for a moment, before nudging the kids slightly to make sure he had their attention. By the unwavering stares he got, he might...not even need to do that, damn.

"See that bush? And that one?" He pointed both of them out, and waited until both kids looked at. "Don't go through them. I need to set up your ...bed, and I don't want to have to go looking for you. Got it?"

"Got it." Was the chorus. One that changed as he knelt. "River river river rock river!"

"... no playing in the water, 'kay? A little wet is fine, not a lot of wet." Zaveid amended his directions, then shrugged and released them anyway. They were old enough to play with water, right? Well, Mikleo was a water seraph, he probably should get plenty of water time anyway. The wind deposited their things in his hand when he reached for it, and he set through sorting the pack, that wind repurposed to tell him what goes on around the kids. There shouldn't be any hellions about, this close to the old man's domain, but wild animals can be dangerous in their own right.

A tent up here all on its own was probably too much to ask for curious humans to ignore. Sorey seemed fine on the short walk and windstepping up, he probably doesn't need a tent, if he used ...aha, good, there was two sleeping bags. The cloth of the tent itself can be a good clean place for them to sleep on, one sleeping roll for a bed, the other for a blanket, and he could tie some of the edges together so they wouldn't throw it off. Perfect.

Bed made, he turned back to the childr -  **child** .

Yeah, it was turned back to the child. A slight frown on his face, he walked over to him. "Mikleo, where's Sorey?"

Mikleo just looked up from splashing the shallow water with his feet, and pointed at the river.

"... The river?" He really didn't think he'd need to use the wind to look for the kid so soon, but water is one of those things that humans can't breathe. He didn't already fall-

"Mikleo Mikleo Mikleo! Fish! Zavie?" That was Sorey's voice, thus, Sorey couldn't be in the water. If any adult who could see him was around, he probably  looked like an idiot, standing with one foot in the water and the other on land, one hand gathering up his hair behind his head, looking a little shocked to see a kid up the stream on a rock, past the bush he'd pointed out.

…There was a stretch of riverbank next to the bush. Damn, he should know better about his wording by now.

But he just scoops up Mikleo, then makes his way in the river toward Sorey, because why not at this point, its not like he could get more wet-

Sorey splashed him as he bent to pick him up. Okay, him and Mikleo, but-

"I'm so sad you splashed me. Guess we're not having fish." Zaveid sighed it, picking up the tiny human anyway.

Trying to scold them into not randomly splashing him didn't work. "Fish! Fish fish fish!" Became the repeated happy cry. 

"Alright, alright, we'll have fish for dinner." Not like he was actually planning on not feeding them. Humans needed that. "But there's a time for splashing, and that time is splash time. No splashing unless it's splash time, and splashing only during splash time, okay?"

"Splash time?" Mikleo asked.

"Yeah." He realized his mistake as tiny fists formed and purple eyes sparkled. "It isn't splash time right now. It's dinner time." Zaveid walked back to the camp and set the kids down. "Stay here, or stay dry and watch me, if you want. But no going  **past** those bushes, understand?" With two tiny nods, Zaveid nodded back, turning to the river.

Okay. The real question would really be how is he going to get a fire started while keeping a fish…

* * *

 

His half formed plan involving pendulum wire and the tent stakes worked out for him. Fish were cooked, children fed after Zaveid was really careful with de-boning, and then they were in the bedroll and sound asleep. Hopefully they wouldn't need anything, and the circling breeze would be enough. He'd already lost the kid once, so maybe he should add another breeze - he was going to keep that promise.

Well. That could have gone better. Mikleo had been pretty calm about the whole missing Sorey thing, he'd have to see if that was a thing. Nothing weird going on with Sorey, Mikleo is happy. Zaveid doublechecked he put that fire out, then sighs and settled against a tree.

So they just had to go down the hill - at least one windstep. Ah, shit, humans would be able to see Sorey floating along if he carried him, or holding an invisible hand if he walked, so he'd need to read the wind for trade routes as they went toward Ladylake…

A wail and weak sobs brought him back from thinking about tomorrow - the moon had moved, the sky darkened, was it about the middle of the night? His wind hadn't told him anything had moved, beyond a quick touch telling him the kids were huddled together now. Nothing had shown up - were they scared of the dark?

"Graampaa..." Well, that would explain that. Zaveid stood and carefully walked over to their mat and knelt at the edge. He stared at them, and his hands for a moment, before reaching out and lightly ruffling their hair.

"Sorry." He muttered, using a little wind so he didn't really have to talk louder and wake them more than their own ...whatever this was, had woken them. "It's just Zaveid taking care of you guys for now." For now, because today had proven one thing to him. Do this alone? Yeah, no, he lost one of them and only had them for a quarter of a day.

Lailah was sleeping in Ladylake, huh? Time to bring two little alarm clocks her way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus starts "Zaveid never being able to remember anyones age"  
> why count in single digits when you're two or three thousand years old?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They have clearly accepted the dad part of his trashdad status.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, we started working on this. And then we got Berseria and did our best to blitz through it before College became a thing so  
> THIS IS SLIGHTLY AU FROM BERSERIA... but we are definitely going to fold in Berseria aspects. Oops. Sorry for the vague hints and further feeling stabbing. (and now we have beaten it in english too, but College happened)
> 
> Except we're not sorry at all...

 

He didn't get to edge back off the tent-mat, tiny sniffles starting up the moment he took his hands back. Here was hoping they were actually sleeping, he didn't want to know what kind of mess tiny kids were on little to no sleep.

It sounded kinda terrifying, in his head. They were chatty enough when just slightly tired, would that turn to screams or something if they were actually tired and cranky?

And another thing he has to work on. Blinking and finding daylight creeping over the hill probably isn't a good thing for his continued keeping track of the kidlets.

Particularly when he blinked at the light, and found his hand sitting on empty blanket. The wind told him nothing left the mat - or came in, which is the second worry, did they get  **eaten** , so he started to push himself into sitting up.

Wait, no, that wasn't a good idea, there was-

"...I can't be a good pillow." He kept his voice low, none of the usual playing with his tones.

“Pillow not warm,” Sorey mumbled, wiggling closer to Zaveid.

“Pillow not need warm,” Mikleo added, the edges of whatever he has on his forehead digging into Zaveid’s side.

"O-kay." Zaveid said slowly, staying put for a moment. Should he try talking Mikleo into taking that circlet off when he slept? It couldn't be comfortable...

Never mind-

"You two are gonna need to do without a pillow for a bit. Pillow's gotta make food."

As soon as he started to move, two sleepy cries of “noooo…” started up, Sorey grabbing onto the belt on his pants and Mikleo clutching the longer of the two belts around his wrists.

“Kay.” Zaveid paused in sitting up, getting most of the way up. “But food. Breakfast. I can get it all one before too many gurgles start.” And he nudged their stomachs. C’mon, no food-grumpy kids…

They seemed to consider this for a moment, nodding and letting go of his clothing to curl up closer to each other. “Good food?” Sorey asked, watching Zaveid with bright eyes - apparently he wakes up fast.

“Of course.” Zaveid postured a little, trying to look a bit more serious. “Always good food, you two get what I’d eat too.” he got to his feet, then pointed at the mat. “Stay on this, okay? I’m just gonna be over here.” He pointed to the remains of last night’s fire. “So stay on the mat.” He waited for nods of understanding before heading over to cook.

They obeyed the order to stay on the mat, but before long they started whispering to each other, things that don’t quite make sense when they reach Zaveid’s ears on the wind.

When he looked over, they’re closer than before, still somewhat curled together. And so he stopped and stared for a moment-had they gotten closer? This is the problem - the winds were mostly about the camp, not over the kids. He wasn’t that worried about what  **they** were doing, but things coming up, that would be bad. Maybe he should put a weak breeze over them too? Eh, he needed to focus more on cooking. When they hit the road, definitely.

And on the topic of cooking…

He looked away, and Sorey peeked up to check, smiling widely and tugging at Mikleo. The mat rustled and the boys giggle, curled up when Zaveid looks over.

He straightened with a full stack of waffles, but paused before speaking. Those giggles sounded like they were right behind him… “Didn’t I say something about staying on the mat?”

“On mat!” Sorey repeated cheerfully.

“See?” A rustle as Mikleo picked up the edge of the mat, smile matching Sorey’s. “...food?”

“Yeah, I see.” So maybe he should just sit with the two of them unless they’re actually asleep. Cooking can be a group thing. “And food is done!” He turned to sit on the mat edge with them. “It’s finger food breakfast! You take one of these and just start eating.”

Mikleo looked dubious, but Sorey just dove in, picking up the warm waffles and biting them. It didn’t take long for Mikleo to join in.

\--

So they played on the beach of the lake, Zaveid declaring it splash time until it was cold. Because he really didn’t want to bring Sorey into Ladylake in the daytime. A floating child was much easier to ignore at night than by daylight, so it was time to wear them out. And once he fed them again -- and the sun went down -- he bundled them up and wind-rushed past the guards, up onto a roof.

Alright! Lady Lailah’s shrine was where again? Time to make his windy way in.

Inside the shrine, the temple of the sacred blade, the large room was mostly empty-- tapestries hung from the walls were almost the only embellishment. Sorey and Mikleo looked around with wide eyes, only pausing when they finally saw the sword pedestal and the woman lying down, asleep, in front of it.

Sorey’s mouth fell open, eyes shining. “Pretty…” Mikleo nodded his agreement--the entire building was pretty, and so was the sleeping woman with the gradient hair of a fire seraph.

“Mhm. She is.” Zaveid agreed as well, stepping up close and looking her over. Pretty much how he remembered she looked. “She’s also been sleeping a really long time.” He kneeled to let the kids stand, watching Lailah for signs of her being awake. “Sleeping so long she missed breakfast, lunch,  **and** dinner. What should we do?”

They frown, thinking seriously. Missing breakfast, lunch,  **and** dinner? That’s so bad, it’s almost unthinkable! Zavei--ah. Sorey clapped, grinning at Zaveid and Mikleo. “Wake her up!”

Mikleo clapped too, matching Sorey’s enthusiasm. “And then food!” Because that’s the more important part, despite her clearly being a seraph and not  **really** needed to eat.

“Exactly.” Zaveid put his hands on his hips, looking proud they figured out the plan. “So, Mikleo, you’ve had a lot of practice today. It’s time for one more splash time, like washing your face after a nap. She’s taken a long nap. So she needs a bit of a face wash.” He probably won't to get his ass kicked because of the kids. Probably. Would still be worth it if he does--a good amount of Lailah’s dress was white, and the kid’s aim and, ah, enthusiasm....

Mikleo grinned widely, retreiving the stick he’d found earlier in the day and holding it out in front of him, Sorey ducked behind him after one look at his face. He raised his arms and threw them apart, crying, “Splash time!”

Sorey threw up his arms as well, calling “Wakey wakey!”

Water materialized above the sleeping seraph, and came crashing down, soaking the woman and her platform.

It only took a moment for her to begin to sit up, pushing herself up by the arms. “What...?”

“Did’ja have a nice nap? Lady of the Lake.” Zaveid grinned, bending at the waist so his head was more or less on her level. The boys cheered, and scrambled closer to her, now soggy, resting place with cries of “Did it!” “Wake!” and “Breakfast!”

“Zaveid…” She blinked, rubbing at her eyes as she sat up more completely; Sorey and Mikleo took the opportunity to climb into her lap, patting some of the cold water out of whatever they could reach. She blinked again, staring for a moment at Mikleo, and a shorter moment at Sorey, before she looked back up at Zaveid with a smile on her face. She lightly wrapped her arms around the boys, still smiling sweetly, then tilted her head.

“Zaveid? An explanation would be nice.”

Sorey and Mikleo tugged at her sleeves for a moment before adding, still hopefully, “Breakfast?”

Zaveid grinned again, picking up their pack and wandering over to one of the torches. “What? All the clues not clear enough for you?” He fished through the pack and started mixing together waffles.

The boys continued to try to pat her dry, and Lailah sighed, looking between the children -- a water seraph and a human? -- and Zaveid. “The ‘clues’ as you said are that you woke me up and you have two children with you. Why do you have children?” She hadn’t thought she’d been asleep for that long? What had she missed...And is it irregular or regular, that the brown-haired boy with feathers on his ears can see the seraphim?

“I’ve got them ‘cause apparently you needed  **two** alarm clocks,” Zaveid called over his shoulder, holding a hand out toward her. A flick of his fingers had a little whirlwind dancing in his palm. He could help with that soggy--

The boys caught sight of where he was, and with excited yells, wriggle free and grab at Zaveid’s legs.

“I see…” Not entirely, but it does make more sense. She stared at him for a moment, with his whirlwind, shaking her head with a small smile. As soon as the boys are clear of her, grabbing onto Zaveid’s legs instead, she stood, scorching the moisture out of her clothing in a moment.

She hid a smile behind a hand as she walked closer. “I take it you’re cooking ‘breakfast’? They seem  **very** excited about it.”

"What? You surprised they like my cooking?" Zaveid sounded mock-indignant as he glanced over with an exaggerated insulted look. 

"I didn't realize you cooked." Lailah hummed as she stepped up to a polite distance away from Zaveid and the children.

Zaveid didn't actually reply to that, because while he'd been working on waffles, Sorey had begun to climb. The result at the moment was one small child hanging from the belt he wore properly, which meant that his already precariously sitting pants were in danger. "Uh... that's not gunna make food done faster at all..." 

Zaveid grabbed onto his belt, and so Sorey's grip moved to his wrist. Ah, well, that's one way this could go, and so the wind seraph stayed put, watching as Sorey hauled himself further up his arm.

"Maybe he wants to be tall?" Lailah laughed from behind a politely raised hand.

"Everyone should know how to cook. Stuff's tasty." Zaveid pointed out, staying still until Sorey makes it to his shoulder, and then he looped the arm over the kid's knees. He gave Lailah a glance of 'how would I know', about the desire to be tall - look, he's been this way for a while.

"That's true…" He really has seen so much more of the world than her. She's the Lady of the Lake. There's no place for the Hellion Hunter, not in the way that this shrine was hers.

Lailah's not sure if Zaveid likes it that way or not. She turned toward Mikleo, who was quite happy with both his feet planted. "I know Zaveid, but who are you two?"

Mikleo looked up at her, rather than his climbing friend, and then pointed at the brown haired boy. "Sorey!"

Sorey turned, and Zaveid's hand tightened on the boy's knee while he pointed back at Mikleo. "Mikleo!"

Lailah covered her small smile again, because children, that was adorable... "I see. Have you two known Zaveid long?" The wind seraph did his best to pretend he isn't being talked about, focusing on keeping the boy on his shoulder still and single-handedly cooking waffles. 

Both boys nodded enthusiastically. "Long!" They agree, before Sorey made a big arc with his wide open hands. 

"Aaaaaalll day!" Because a day is definitely a long time.

"Oh really? That long?" Lailah had to wonder why the children are so cute. Was this a normal small human and seraph thing? "Have you been enjoying yourselves?" Because honestly... that's the most important thing to ask anyone who has been hanging around Zaveid 'all day'. Even if it is rather obvious, given how they're acting.

"Yeah!!" Sorey practically crowed it, and Mikleo brought his hands up under his chin in excitement, purple eyes practically sparkling.

"Splash time!" Obviously, the little water seraph loves water, and perhaps just as obviously, Sorey enjoys it just because Mikleo does.

Lailah blinked, realizing just how they had woken her. Splash time, huh? "And Zaveid makes sure you're all dry when splash time is over, so you're not cold anymore, doesn't he?" And so Sorey doesn't get sick, and Mikleo doesn't get sick out of not realizing he doesn't need to be.

Wasn't there something she had heard, forever ago, before the tales of the Hellion Hunter spread? A pair of seraphim running an orphanage. Zaveid seemed like he could have thrived in a similar situation, with how calmly he adjusted to having Sorey on his shoulder. He stood there, seemingly focused on his cooking, but for that hand on the boy's knee and the slight shifts as the kid moves. 

"Whoosh!" Both children cried, clearly an example of exactly how Zaveid dries them off. Of course he would use the wind to do it, that's not surprising. 

What is, is that they've known him for a day and already care this much.

What made him think he needs her along? He hadn't said so much in those words, but there's no reason for him to have woken her up otherwise.

"Ohh, whoosh, huh? And I bet there's a fire to warm by too." And probably cook, but they've only been with Zaveid for a day.

She could probably make those winds warm too, with practice.

"Warm day." Sorey said, like he'd heard it.

"Water not cold!" Mikleo added, and maybe that's it. Zaveid doesn't quite have the right level of common sense - or he's just that out of touch with humans - and children. Lailah made an effort and her smile doesn't fall into a frown. While that's well and good - the children are certainly fine - surely a wind seraph would know what wind and water could do to people, even when it's gentle.

"You plannin' on eating up there, or we gunna all sit?" Zaveid finally spoke up, turning to ask Sorey a question.

"Up! Up too!" Mikleo answered. Lailah laughed at the boy's response, determined to talk to Zaveid about his common sense error when the boy - no, boys are asleep. Smiling gently, she looked down to Mikleo again.

"If Zaveid can't put you both on his shoulders, you could sit on mine instead." She's a terrible enabler. It'd only take a bit of effort to move her hair out of the way, and she definitely can eat while holding a child onto her shoulders.

"I wanna eat too, so which one of you gets to sit on Lailah?" Zaveid's question is met with both boys calming a lot, studying her with wide eyes and serious little faces. So he sighed. "There'll be room for both of you on my lap, okay?" That gets the children to perk up again, Mikleo grabbing onto one of Zaveid's legs.

Lailah laughed again - after all, they had only just met her, even if they met Zaveid yesterday, so she's not surprised that they decided his lap was better than only one of them on his shoulders. "Where should we sit then? I could dry off the pedestal, or..." They're leaving right after, correct? Which exit are they gonna sit by?

"Here." While not exactly an answer, it's clearly part of it. Zaveid handed Lailah the plate stacked with waffles, before bending to scoop up Mikleo for his other shoulder. The wind seraph turned to study the room with eyes this time, before tilting his head. "How about those steps?"

"Yes, I think that'll do nicely." Lailah led the way over to the right of the pedestal, not bothering to check over her shoulder if Zaveid and the children are following. After all, this was for breakfast, which they really wanted to share with her, so they would.

She'll ask later, when she's been with them for more than a few minutes, that Zaveid had been making sure to feed them more than just waffles - fruits, vegetables and protein. It's not that she doesn't trust him, really, but it does seem like he's really out of touch with the things humans need, unlike her. Who steals food regularly. Some of Lailah's worry is dispelled after Zaveid sits with the kids. After he perched them on a knee each, a moment spent steadying them and their giggles, and then he's reaching on the wind. A handful of strawberries produced, he used a bit of pendulum wire to slice the tops off then quarter a pair. These he hands to the gleeful children, then offers a pair to Lailah. 

"A~nd breakfast! ... or... midnight snack…." He trailed off with the slow realization that he might have screwed up the kid's sleeping schedules. Lailah placed the plate of waffles between her and Zaveid, taking the strawberries. The boys giggle at her small noise of pleased surprise, and she smiled and giggled back at... mostly Zaveid, but as they're all in one spot.

"Well, I just woke up, so it's my breakfast. But it  **is** a midnight snack, too." Lailah picked up a waffle to pass to Sorey and Mikleo each, once they are done with most of their strawberry, before picking up her own. "Thanks for the meal, Zaveid." She's not done, not really even started, but someone had to model manners. Zaveid was likely to be the last one to do so.

"Thank Zavei!" The boys cheered without hesitation, so maybe Zaveid had been doing a better job than expected from his appearance. This time, Zaveid seemed to have noticed the nickname? The mispronunciation of his name? Was it that hard to say? Ah, well, no need to really call attention to that now. Lailah hid her smile behind her hand, but really, the most important thing here is the waffles.

\--

"So ya two still hungry, then?" Zaveid knew the way to tire kids out around now, at least. Feed them, keep moving, and they'll go to sleep. And while not entirely up to Lailah's diet standards, waffles and strawberries work for that - they're warm, filling, and haven't made tiny stomachs fussy yet. Even if the children give Lailah unsure stares when Zaveid is done packing and picking up their meal remains. "...Y'know, you two might be more comfy if one of you was with Laila-" 

"No!!" And a handful of his hair makes it pretty clear that the children aren't ready to accept so much change yet. Since they were already attached, Zaveid scooped them up with a vaguely apologetic glance at Lailah. 

"I'll meet you on the bridge?" Zaveid's tone might not have been as sure as he intended, as he slightly shifted Sorey. Lailah could walk through town, but Zaveid did have a small child who would be floating.

Lailah nodded, then sighed, as Zaveid turns to the children with a grin and "Whoosh!" The trio vanish, leaving behind a pack... 

"He... is serious." She picked up the pack, found mana already in the weave, and set out to leave Ladylake for who knows how long, with a glance back at the Sword.

**Author's Note:**

> Once again, thankies to Endless and Viliandre for thought bouncing-
> 
> I think I mentioned I'm a sucker for Zaveid being there in a caring responsible way, no matter how he messes it up, right?
> 
> Right.
> 
> Also so much fun with "Zaveid of the Promise" being his true name, and oaths, and how I've seen his theme translated as 'Zaveid the Exile' and then there's- "Legends remain of an exile from the seraphim and the first Shepherd’s paradise." from the world guidance timeline-


End file.
